Apparatus for applying rubber tires to vehicles.



PATBNTBD DBG. 1, 1903.

E. R. LANPHER. APPARATUS FOR APPLYING-EUBBER TIRES TO VEHICLES.

APPLIUATION FILED APB.,`23. 1903.

No MODEL.

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UNITED STATES t Patented December 1, 1903.

4PATENT Fries.

EARL'R. LANPHER, OF CARTHAGE, MISSOURI.

SPECIFICATION forming part er Lettere Patent No. 745,631, dated December 1, 1903l Application filed April 23, 1903.

To all whom, it may con/cera:

Be it known that I, EARL R. LANPHER, a citizen of the United States, residing in Carthage, in the county of Jasper and State of Missouri, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Apparatus for Applying RubberTires to Vehicle-Wheels, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My inventionrelates to an apparatus for use in introducing the retaining-wires into the receiving-grooves of rubber vehicleetires.

The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus by which said wires may be placed into the grooves in the tires with less straining effect thereupon than in previous methods.

My invention consists in features of novelty hereinafter fully described, and pointedA out in the claims.

Figure I is a side elevation of a vehiclewheel with my apparatus shown in perspective thereupon, as used in the act of applying a tire to the wheel. Fig. II isa top view of 'the operating parts of my apparatus and a fragment of a vehicle-wheel channel-rin1 andy tires shown therein, as in the act of seatingv the retaining-wires. Fig. III is a section taken on line IIII III, Fig. II. Fig.' IV is aA perspective view of one of the clam ping-j aws and lifting-plates carried thereby. Fig. Visy a cross-section of a vehicle-wheel rimand tire of the type with which ,m y apparatus is used.

A designates the rim of a vehicle wheel that is encircled by a channel-rim B.

C is a rubber tire seated in the channel-rim B and provided near its base with continuous grooves D for the reception of retaining-wires E. (See Fig. V.)

1 designates a pair of supporting-bars that are arranged in parallel lines and occupy positions at opposite sides of the wheel A, as seen in Fig. I. These supporting-bars are upheld at the sides of the vehicle-wheel by rear and forward V-shaped cross members 2 and 4, the arms of which are slidably positioned on the supporting-bars Lto which they are respectively held by set-screws 3 and 5. The V-shaped cross members are adapted to straddle the rim and tire of the vehicle-wheel, which fit within the crotches thereof, so that Serial No. 153,925. (No model.)

the cross members serve as supports for the supporting-bars 1 to uphold the hars in a position above the vertical center of the vehiclewheel or the full horizontal diameter of the wheel, as illustrated in Fig. I.

6 designates'posts secured to the supporting-bars 1 near theirx forward ends at the rear of the forward cross member 4.

- 7 is a hand-lever, the `free end of which extends rearwardly, while the forward end is formed into a yoke 8, that is pivoted at 9 and 10 to the posts 6.

11 is a cross-rod situated within the yoke 8 and having its ends seated in the arms of said yoke.

12 designates links,one end of each of which is loosely mounted on the cross-rod 11 and which extend rearwardly from said rod, as seen'most clearly in Figs. I and III.

13 designates clamping-jaws occupying positions at the sides of the channel-rim B, so as to slidably engage said rim. These clampingjaws are connected to the links 12 by pivot-pins 14, so as to be carried bysaid links. One of the clamping-jaws is provided with a smooth bore 15 (see Fig. 1V) and the other jaw is provided with a screw-threaded bore.

16 is a clamp-screw having ascrew-threaded body 17. This clamp-screw is first passed through the smooth bore 15 in one of `the elampingjaws 13, and its screw threaded body is then passed through the screw-threaded bore in the second jaw, so that upon rotation of the screw the jaws may be drawn together to cause them to clamp the channelrim B of the vehicle wheel. Each of the clamping-jaws 13 is provided with an arm 18, projecting rearwardly therefrom. The arms 18 are grooved transversely, and seated in their grooves are lifting-plates 19, which are provided with longitudinal slots 20, that receive set-bolts 21. These set-boltshold the retaining-plates adj ustably to the arms of the clamping-jaws, so that they may be shifted longitudinally and properly positioned with respect to the channel rim of the vehicle- 4In the top stated, the retaining-wires E, of ring form, having been previously placed in the channel-rim B. The clamping-jaws 13 are thenenough resistance to prevent movement of the jaws when the lever7 is raised to move the yoke 8 downwardly. The resistance of the clamping-jaws against the channel-rim is not, however, sufficient to prevent movement of the clamping-jaws when the hand-lever 7 is lowered and the yoke 8 is elevated or moved rearwardly, and said yoke is thereby permitted to carry therewith the jaws and the lifting-plates 19 appurtenant thereto.

The process of positioning the tire in the channel-rim B and seating the retaining-wires in grooves of said tire is then carried out in the following manner: In beginning the operation of applying the tire the retaining- Wires are raised at the location of the liftingplates 19 and seated in the transverse grooves 22 at the inner ends of said plates, the point at which the wires E are Iii-st raised being at one of the ends of the tire and the point at which the operation is completed being at the other end of the tire, as seen in Fig. I. The lifting plates are then adjusted outwardly on the arms 18 of the clamping-jaws 13 to a suicient degree to hold the uplifted retaining-wires far enough apart to allow the rubber tire to enter between them, but not to a degree that will cause binding of the wires againstany of the adjacent parts of the apparatus. One end of the tire is now started into the channel-rim B between the lifting-plates 19, and the hand-lever 7 is next depressed and oscillates on its pivots to raise the retaining-wires E. The yoke 8 is at this time moved rearwardly in the arc of a circle, thereby causing sliding movement of the clamping-jaws 13 on the channel-rim B. At the same time that the hand-lever is depressed to occasion the movement of the clampingj'aws in the manner stated the tire C is pressed inwardly into the channel-rim by the operators thumb, as illustratedin Fig. I, and the clamping-jaws during their movement cause the lifting-plates 19 to ride beneath the re-V taining-wires to keep them in elevated position adjacent to the lifting-plates, so that the wires may enter the grooves D in the tire as the tire is pressed into the channel-rim. The lever 7 is then again raised and the vehiclewheel partially rotated within the apparatus, during which the clamping-jaws 13 adhere to the channel-rim and move therewith. The next downward movement of the lever presses the lifting-plates 19 again rearwardly to continue lifting action upon the retaining-wires at an advanced point, so that the tire may be pressed into the channel-rim and receive the wires in the same manner as that before stated. During the operation of the handlever 7 the apparatus is continuously moved around the wheel which it incloses, so that the lifting-plates 19 willentirely traverse the channel-rim B. This movement of the apparatus is obtained by reason of the V-shaped cross members 2 and 4 beingloosely tted to the rim of the wheel and the jaws 13 having clamping engagement with said rim. Owing to sucharrangement when the hand-lever is raised the clamping-jaws adhere to the wheel channel-rim, and therefore serve as fulcrum members, and the hand-lever pivoting onla dierent point connected to the supportingbars 1 causes the forward ends of said bars to be lifted and the forward crossbar 4 to be carried therewith. At the same time the rear cross-bar 2 descends to a degree equal to the lift of the forward cross-bar, thereby altering the plane of the supporting-bars. The handleveris then moved downwardly, forcing both of the cross-bars 2 and 4 into close impact with the Wheel channel-rim by moving them downwardly, and then the continued downward movement of the hand-lever causes the yoke 8 to move the clamping-jaws 13 rearwardly and carry the wire-lifting plates in a corresponding direction beneath the retaining-wires to elevate them for the introduction and retention ofthe tire C. The actions described are repeated until the entiretire has been applied and the wires seated in its grooves throughout its extent, after which the ends of the tire are cemented together in the usual manner and the vehicle-wheel is in condition for use. After the tire has been completely introduced the lifting-plates 19 are disconnected from the clamping-jaws 13 on removal of the `nuts of the bolts 21, that hold them, and the wires are thereby released from said plates to move into the channelrim at the point where they are last withheld therefrom and move freely into the remaining unoccupied portions of the grooves in the tire.

By the use of my apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention the tires may be readily and quickly applied to vehiclewheels without straining effect upon the wires and the process of applying may be carried out either with the wheel removed from the vehicle or connected thereto, as the construction of the apparatus renders this possible.

I claim as my invention- 1. In an apparatus for applying tires to vehicle-Wheels, the combination of supporting ymeans iitted to the wheel, a hand-lever pivoted to said supporting means, clampingjaws connected to said hand-lever and engaging the rim of said wheel, andmeans carried by said clamping-jaws for receiving and lifting the tire-retaining wires, substantially as set forth.

2. In an apparatus for applying tires to vehicle-wheels, the combination of supporting means tted to the wheel, a hand-lever pivoted to said supporting means, clampingjawsconnected to said hand-lever and embracing the rim of the wheel, and retaining- IOC IIO

Wire-lifting plates carried by said clampinghiele-wheels, the combination of supporting means fitted to the Wheel, a hand-lever pivoted to said supporting means, clampingjaws connected to said hand-lever and embracing the rim of the Wheel, and adjustable retainingwirelifting plates carried by said clamping-jaws, substantially as set forth.

4. In an apparatus for applying tires to vehicle-Wheels, the combination of a support f1tted to the wheel, a hand-lever pivoted to said support, a yoke carried by said hand lever, clamping-jaws pivotally connected to said yoke and embracing the rim of the wheel, and lifting-plates carried by said clam ping-jaws for receiving the tire-retaining wires,snbstan tially as set forth.

5. In an apparatus for applying tires to vehicle-Wheels, the combination of supporting means fitted to the Wheel, a hand-lever pivoted to said supporting means, a yoke carried by said lever, links pivoted to said yoke, clamping-jaws pivoted to said links to embrace the wheel-rim, a clamping-screw connecting said jaws, and lifting-plates carried by said jaws to receive the tire retaining Wires, substantially as set forth.

6. In an apparatus for applying tires to vehicle-wheels, the combination of supporting means,ahand-leverpivoted to said supporting `means,clam ping-jaws connected to said handlever and embracing the rim of the wheel, and grooved lifting-plates carried by said clamping-jaws to receive the tire-retaining Wires, substantially as set forth.

7. In an apparatus for applying tires to vehide-Wheels, the combination of a pair of parallel supporting-bars, V-shaped cross members fitted to said bars to engage the wheel at its periphery, a hand-lever pivotally supported by said hars, and means carried by said hand-lever for engaging and lifting the tire-retaining Wires,substantially as setforth.

8. In an apparatus for applying tires to vehide-wheels, the combination of a pair of parallel supporting-bars, V-shaped cross members adjustably fitted to said bars to engage the wheel at its periphery, a hand-lever pivotally supported by said bars, and means carried by said hand-lever for engaging and lifting the tire-retaining Wires, substantially as set forth.

' EARL R. LANPHER. In presence of- N. J. JOHNSON, W. H. SHEPHERD. 

